Improvement in car-brakes



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Car-Brakes. 910,138,535, PatentedMay 6,1873` AM, Mam umn slum/c co. N. mmeanwefs Pnacsssj UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES SHANNON, OE eOEoEs, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEM ENT` IN CAR-BRAKES.

Specification formingpart of Letters Patent No. 138,535, dated May 6, 1873; application filed February 28, 1873.

To all whom fit may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES SHANNON, of Cohoes, in the county of Albany and State of NeWYork, have invented certain Improvements in Gar-Brakes, of which the following is a full and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing making a part of this specification, in which- Figure lis a longitudinal section at the line w; and Fig. 2, a plan view of the under side of the truck or car, in which the cross-piece U is omitted for the purpose of more clearly showing the underlying parts.

My invention consists in attaching to the brakes of a car the devices herein shown and described, by means of which the brakes are applied by power derived from the moving train.

As shown in the drawing, A is the truck or platform of the car. B B are the Wheels, at-` tached in the usual manner to the axles b b.

Secured to one of these axles is a bevelgear wheel, (l. D is a vertical shaft, having near its lower end a block, E, which serves as a bearing to the horizontal shaft F, upon which the bevel-pinion G land wormH are secured. d is a cross-bar, attached to the vertical shaf't D, for the purpose of imparting the necessary motion to it.v I is a vertical shaft for moving the brakes. It is provided with a hand-wheel, i1, and ratchet-wheel i2, (in which the pawl i3 engages to secure the brake when it is necessary to do so,) which permits of the application of the brakes by hand, in the usual manner. J is a worm-Wheel, secured to the shaft I, and meshing into gear with the worm H. K K are the brake-blocks, made in the usual manner, and secured to the crossbars L L, which are attached to the end pieces M M by means of the hinges N N. -O is a chain, connecting together the cross-bars L L. It passes through a hole or mortise in the shaft I, and is wound around the shaft while applying the brakes. P is a vertical shaft for giving the necessary movement to the shaft D by means of the hand-wheel p. Near its lower end a crossbar, Q, is secured. R E

are rods for connecting together the crossbars d and Q. r r are links to which cords can be attached leading to the engine, whereby the engineer can have control of' the brakes when necessary. The links r 1' are also intended for the purpose of connecting together similar brakes for any number of cars, by means of which they may all be operated simultaneously. S is a check'plate secured to the top of the vertical shaft D. It is provided with a notch or opening upon its periphery, in which the spring-bolt T engages and secures. the shaft D, while applying the brakes by the motion of the train. U is a cross-piece, forming a bearing for the lower ends of the shafts D and I.

The operation of my brake is as follows: While the train is in motion the shaft Dis placed in such la position as to entirely disengage the wheel C and pinion Gr, and also the worm H, and worm-wheel J, from each other. This leaves the brakes in condition to be used by hand, if desired. lVhen a sudden stoppage of the train becomes necessary, sufficient motion must be given to the shaft P and its cross-bar Q., either by means of the bandwheel p, or by the cords leading to the engine. This motion is communicated, by means of the rods R It and cross-bar d, to the shaft D, carrying the pinion G and worm I into gear with the wheel C and worm-wheel J, as shown in Fig. 2. At this point the springbolt T is forced forward into the notch of the check-plate S,and secures the shaft D in the proper position f'or holding the several parts in gear. By the motion imparted by the revolving axle through the wheel C, pinion G, worm H, and worm-wheel J, to the shaft I, the chain O is wound around the shaft, closingtogether the brake-blocks K K until they clamp the Wheels B B with sufficient tenacity to prevent themfrom turning.

It will readily be seen that the intensity of the pressure applied by the brake-blocks to the wheels, is dependent upon the degree of speed of the moving train; the greatest speed producing the greatest pressure, thereby fulfilling the requirements of a perfect brake.

What I claim as my invention is- 1,. The shaft D, pinion G,'and worm H, in

combination with the Wheel C, (attached to 3. The check-plate S and spring-bolt T, or; the axle 11,)Worm-Whee1 J, and shaft I, when their equivalents, in combination with the constructed substantially as herein described, shaft D, as and for the purpose specified. to operate the brake-blocks K K, as and for JAMES SHANNON. the purpose specified.

2. The combination of the shaft P, having Witnesses: the cross-bar Q and rods R R, with the shaft S. J. HAIGHT, l D, having the crossbar d, as and for the pur- WILLIAM H. LOW. pose specified. 

